Foreign Legion anchors elite bench

SAN ANTONIO — Depth has long been a Spurs hallmark, particularly during their recent ascent back among the league’s elite.

It isn’t just a luxury. With Tim Duncan approaching 40, Manu Ginobili not far behind and Tony Parker coming off a grueling summer of international hoops, having a strong bench capable of providing an assortment of options is absolutely essential in their quest to capture another championship.

“It’s something we depend on,” head coach Gregg Popovich said after the Spurs beat Boston going away on Wednesday, 104-93. “We’ve got a good, focused second group. They play very aggressively. We look for that and we need it.”

They certainly got it against the Celtics, dominating the battle of the bench 34-16 to account for the winning margin and more. It was another strong performance from a unit that ranks fourth in bench scoring (39.7 points per game), total production and production differential.

The bulk of that output is provided by the Foreign Legion of Ginobili, Boris Diaw, Marco Belinelli and Patty Mills, who have combined to break open numerous games already. Not just a collection of cool accents, they have the No. 6 plus-minus, at 16.6 points per 100 possessions, among 20 four-man lineups that have played at least 30 minutes together, and the second-best among units that do not include either Duncan or Parker. Their collective offensive rating of 117.2 points per 100 possessions is 14 points higher than the team’s average.

A quick look at their seasons so far:

Manu Ginobili

24.2 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, 4.2 rpg, 1.1 spg, 15.0 PER

Judging by his efficiency rating, Ginobili is no better than average at this point of his career. He still fills a critical role as the cement of the second unit, making the game easier for everyone else with his slick passing and all-around production. The downside: Ginobili is on pace for career-low percentages from the floor (41.2) and 3-point range (28.6). But he’s at least scaled back his usage rate, which is at its lowest since his rookie season in 2002-03.

Boris Diaw

24.1 mpg, 11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 56.8 FG%, 17.8 PER

Every night brings new surprises from the portly Frenchman. Against the Celtics on Wednesday, he drove to the rim from near the 3-point line and elevated — as much as a 250-pound man with no vertical can elevate — for a dunk. He missed, but that’s beside the point. The fact Diaw even tried is indicative of the sustained aggression with which he’s played this season, a hugely welcome development in his second full season with the Spurs.

Marco Belinelli

20.5 mpg, 7.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.0 3pt%, 13.9 PER

An intelligent, if unspectacular player, Belinelli can pass, shoot and move without the basketball. Which just so happen to be traits the Spurs covet. Surrounded by like-minded players, Belinelli is on pace to set career-highs in numerous categories, including PER, 3-point accuracy, rebounding percentage, true shooting percentage (57.1) and offensive rating (109). Little wonder observers expected him to be such an ideal fit.

Patty Mills

15.8 mpg, 6.9 ppg, 1.2 spg, 50.0 3pt%, 17.1 PER

A summer shedding body fat has paid off in a huge way. No longer a towel-waving mascot, the effervescent Australian has developed into a legitimate rotation player. Mills doesn’t quite fit the Spurs’ disciplined, execution-oriented style. But his helter-skelter manner gives them a wild card that can help break games open with a 3-point flurry or timely steal. At the very least he’s earned Popovich’s trust, relegating Cory Joseph and Nando de Colo to non-entities.

With so many contributions from so many different sources, nine Spurs are averaging at least 6.9 points per game. Perhaps more important, Parker is the lone player logging more than 30 minutes per game at a paltry 31.2, his fewest in four seasons and the third-lowest average of his career. Coming at their opponents in waves, the Spurs remain tied with Indiana for the NBA’s best record at 10-1.

“We take pride in being a whole team,” Diaw said. “We have a lot of guys that come off the bench who can contribute.”